Health and Wellness

USD 386 Exploring Outdoor Learning Center

USD #386 Madison-Virgil hosted a
Community Forum on January 28th, 2015 at 6pm at the Madison High
School Theater regarding an Outdoor Learning Center (OLC) initiative.The purpose of the forum was to share
information and provide community members an opportunity to provide feedback to
USD #386 administration.Mr. Bradbury,
USD #386 Superintendent, and Mrs. Hadicke, Madison Elementary Principal,
presented information regarding the OLC initiative.The objectives of the OLC initiative are as
follows:

Provide
hands on learning for students in USD 386 grades Pre-Kindergarten – 12th.

Learning
would be in the format of Project Based Learning (PBL), such as; selecting
the correct amount of feed to determine egg production.

Provide
opportunities for parental and community engagement in USD #386 education
activities.

According to the Association of
Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) Project-based learning creates opportunities for groups of students to
investigate meaningful questions that require them to gather information and
think critically.Mrs. Hadicke explained
that PBL in the classrooms would look like the following:

·It is a balanced approach to learning that would include learning by
problem solving, using hands-on experiences and teaches social skills.

·PBL would allow students to take ownership of their learning and be
empowered to think critically.

·The outdoor learning center would provide students with
responsibilities for living things (such as vegetable care) and environmental
awareness (such as rainwater collection and use).

·PBL is only one method of instruction students will receive.Technology integration, differentiated
instruction, and best practice will still be a major part of the school
day.

Benefits of the OLC include

·Additional career exposure

·Increased student motivation

·Increased student attendance

·Family learning groups – siblings from all grade levels would work
together on projects

·Sense of ownership in the school and community

Mr. Bradbury and Mrs. Hadicke
explained that initial plans for the OLC in USD #386 would include the
following:

·Land behind the elementary school would be used for a possible
greenhouse. The greenhouse will be used to teach children how to grow and
harvest vegetables that can be used in our cafeteria.

·Possible pens for livestock (chickens would be a year one possibility).

·Recycling drop-off for the community – money raised would be put back
into the outdoor learning center.

·Rainwater collection to be used in our greenhouse and for maintaining
chickens.

·Sustainable Living Practices

The OLC experience also offers
students the opportunity to develop social skills, leadership skills, and a
hands-on learning experience.Due to
challenging times in the area of school finance, the initiative will be funding
totally through gifts and grants.When
the idea of the OLC was first discussed, a committee of teachers and
administrators was formed to initially study the OLC concept.The committee members visited a school in the
state which was employing a similar concept in their instructional
methods.Mr. Bradbury and Mrs. Hadicke
reported that feedback from elementary staff had been very positive.While the OLC will be housed at the elementary,
there will be benefits and opportunities for students PreK-12.The OLC is in the planning stages and is
expected to be taken to the USD #386 Board of Education for approval later this
spring.Mr. Bradbury indicated that
there will be additional informational meetings in the future.Community Involvement will be key to the
success of this initiative.If you have
questions, concerns, comments, or would like to be involved in the OLC
initiative, please contact Mr. Bradbury at rbradbury@usd386.net or Mrs. Hadicke at chadicke@usd386.net.